Age Balancing? At what age does age become imbalanced? And, more to the point, can a moisturizer do anything to balance one’s age? Of course not. This is another moisturizer with wild yam extract, directed toward those with peri-menopausal and menopausal skin. You might as well use the wild yams for your Thanksgiving feast because they have not been demonstrated to have any effectiveness when used on skin. Soy has estrogenic benefits when eaten, but not from topical application (though it is a very good antioxidant). It’s a good thing this is advised for nighttime use—applied during daylight hours, the lime oil in here can cause a phototoxic reaction when skin is exposed to sunlight.

Strengths: A few good cleansers; a selection of well-formulated AHA products centered on glycolic acid; most of Murad's top-rated products are fragrance-free; the sunscreens go beyond the basics and include several antioxidants for enhanced protection.

Weaknesses: Expensive; no other dermatologist-designed line has more problem products than Murad; irritating ingredients are peppered throughout the selection of products, keeping several of them from earning a recommendation; the skin-lighteners are not well-formulated.

Dr. Murad was one of the first doctors to appear on an infomercial selling his own line of skin-care products, and quite successfully so, at least the second time around. This was largely because the company paid for independent clinical studies to establish the efficacy of Dr. Murad's products. There's no question that AHA products, when well-formulated, can be a powerful ally to create healthier, radiant skin. But in terms of independent clinical studies, we're skeptical, given that there are countless labs that exist solely to perform such studies in strict accordance with how the company wants the results to turn out. Murad certainly wouldn't mention in an infomercial that the clinical studies for his AHA products weren't as impressive as, say, those for Neutrogena's AHA products, or any other line for that matter. And what about BHA products? Clinical studies and testimonials may have prompted consumers to order, but the results from Murad's AHA products are hardly unique to this line.

Although this is a skin-care line to consider for some good AHA options, the majority of the products are nothing more than a problem for skin. Murad may have been one of the first dermatologist-developed skin-care lines, but by today's standards his line is deplorable. This is largely due to a preponderance of irritating ingredients that show up in product after product. Any dermatologist selling products that include lavender, basil, and various citrus oils plus menthol and other irritants doesn't deserve to be taken seriously. The same goes for Murad's overuse of alcohol and his preference for treating acne with sulfur, both factors that keep some of his otherwise well-formulated, efficacious products from earning a recommendation.

Yet what is most objectionable is the endless parade of products claiming they can stop, get rid of, or reduce wrinkles and aging. Regardless of whether dermatologists know best about lotions and potions, no conscientious doctor would or should be selling products using the ludicrous claims Murad makes. Most of the anti-aging products have the same hype, the same unsubstantiated claims, and the same exaggeration about the beneficial effects of ingredients that are often present only in the tiniest amounts, without even a mention of the standard or potentially irritating ingredients that are also present. Dr. Murad’s skin-care philosophy, stated on his Web site, includes the following statement: "Take all the necessary steps to achieve healthy skin—including the right products, the proper nutrients (from both food and supplements) and positive lifestyle choices." That's an excellent piece of advice; the problem is that it is contradicted by Murad’s own products, most of which are far from the "right" options for all skin types.

For more information about Murad, call (888) 996-8723 or visit www.murad.com.

About the Experts

The Beautypedia Research Team is dedicated to helping you find the absolute best products for your skin, using research-based criteria to review beauty products from an honest, balanced perspective. Each member of the team was personally trained by Paula Begoun herself.

I'm 46 and I've been using Murad for over a year and a half now, but it took me a almost a year to try Age Balancing Night Cream. It is quite thick, and emollient, that I thought it would break me out for sure. Finally, I gave it a try. It doesn't take much product to apply, as it spreads nicely. Still feels kind of heavy upon application, but when you wake up in the morning.... oh my, how wonderfully hydrated and plump my skin was! And guess what, I didn't break out!

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Reviewed by

Sylvia, D

11.24.2013

mixed review

I have been using the product for 3 years straight now and my skin does look great ... but feel it can look better. I found this night cream to be heavy along with the other products in the line , it also made more pores bigger and I find to many ingredients nothing is simple anymore the only good thing I can say about this product is it does moisturize

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Recommend

Reviewed by

rain

07.24.2013

Terrific product!

I am 51 and starting to really look older than I would like. I have been using this product for some time. My eye area and overall face looki much better and more youthful!